Gallery Walk is a discussion technique that gets students out of their chairs and into active

engagement. The advantage of the method is its flexibility. A Gallery Walk holds a variety of benefits
for students and teachers alike. A Gallery Walk can be conducted with computers (a "Computer
Run"), with pieces of paper on tables, or with posted chart paper. It can be scheduled for fifteen
minutes (a "Gallery Run") or for several class periods. For students, it's a chance to share thoughts in
a more intimate, supportive setting than a larger class discussion. For teachers, it's a chance to gauge
the depth of student understanding of particular concepts and to note and use misconceptions to
shape instruction. A Gallery Walk is a good forum for using misconceptions as discussion topics.

t's often said in the teaching world (as in many professions and trades, I imagine), "Why reinvent the
wheel when there are plenty of practices that already work?"

In their book, Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School, Andy Hargreaves and
Michael Fullan share their definition for "best practices," which they define as existing practices that
already possess a high level of widely-agreed effectiveness.

We teachers are standing on the shoulders of giants before us who have developed tried-and-true
strategies by testing them out, reflecting on the outcomes, and honing those strategies over decades
or longer. And they work; they get results.

What are some of the best pedagogical practices I've adopted over the years from my mentors and
guides in this field? Here are just a few straightforward ones that are known, and used, by many
educators:

Check for understanding often and in a variety of ways.

If you don't have a well-thought out plan for your students, they will have one for you.

Set up the next activity while students are completing the current one -- this makes for a
smooth and speedy transition with little to no downtime.

Design the end goals and end product first (also known as backward planning).

Share models with students of the product or outcome you want them to create or design --
and also continually model in your own behavior how you want them to act and treat each other.

Don't throw anything away, especially in your first few years of teaching; you might need it
later.

The Role of Research

There are also those best practices that have data to back them up. When looking at the work of
educational researcher Robert Marzano, we see that he has spent hundreds of hours observing
classroom practices and using this data to suggest best practices for vocabulary instruction, student
assessment, and classroom management.
Marzano's six-step process for building student academic vocabulary is deeply informed by his
research and used within school districts across the U.S. When it comes to growing student
vocabulary, he asserts that direct instruction is a best practice and essential. (Here's a post I
wrote, Doing It Differently: Tips for Teaching Vocabulary, that says more on this.)

"The Next" Best Thing

It is the adventure and challenge for all educators, grades K-16 (yes, university instructors as well), to
take that tried-and-true strategy and evolve it -- making it best to next. In this digital age, for instance,
as our students' needs and strengths shift, we must remain innovative, and our best should always be
transforming and moving toward the next best approach, tool, or strategy.

When thinking about the learning and teaching in your classroom, what best practices do you utilize?
What are ways that you've innovated and transformed a best practice to a next -- or better -- practice?
Please share in the comments section below.

REBECCA ALBER'S PROFILE

he Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching Based on Ken

Bain What the Best College Teachers Do

Developed by the faculty of the University of New South Wales (UNSW

Australia)

1. Effective learning is supported when students are actively engaged in the

learning process.

Bonwell, C. & Eison, J. 1991, Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom,
ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, Washington DC, viewed 20 June 2007,
Chickering, A. & Gamson Z. 1987, Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate
education, Reprinted by University of Illinois, Springfield, viewed 20 June 2007,

2. Effective learning is supported by a climate of inquiry where students feel

appropriately challenged and activities are linked to research and scholarship.

Jenkins, A., Blackman, T., Lindsay, R. & Paton-Salzberg, R. 1998, Teaching and
research: students perspectives and policy implications, Studies in Higher Education,
vol. 23, no.2, p. 132. McInnis, C. 2003, Exploring the nexus between research and
teaching, in R. Freestone, A. Bagnara, M. Scoufis & C. Pratt (eds), 2003, The Learning
Community: First Explorations of the Research-Teaching Nexus at UNSW, The
University of New South Wales, Sydney, p. 9.

3. Activities that are interesting and challenging, but which also create
opportunities for students to have fun, can enhance the learning experience.

Ramsden, P. 1992, Learning to Teach in Higher Education, Routledge, London, p. 102.

4. Structured occasions for reflection allow students to explore their

experiences, challenge current beliefs, and develop new practices and
understandings.

Bowden, J., Hart, G., King, B., Trigwell, K. & Watts, O. 2000, Generic capabilities: a
framework for action:, in Generic Capabilities of ATN University Graduates, viewed 23
March 2004, Gibbs, F. 1981, Teaching Students to Learn: A Student-Centred Approach,
The Open University Press, Milton Keynes, p. 91.

5. Learning is more effective when prior experience and knowledge are

recognized and built on.

Schulman, L. 1999, Taking learning seriously, Change, vol. 31, no. 4, p. 12, viewed 23
March 2004, URL:http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/elibrary/docs/taking.html Bransford,
J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. 1999, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and
School, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, p. 66. Ausubel, D., Novak, J. &
Hanesian, H. 1978, Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View, Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, New York, p. 163.

6. Students become more engaged in the learning process if they can see the
relevance of their studies to professional, disciplinary and/or personal contexts.

Stein, D. 1998, Situated Learning in Adult Education, ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult

Career and Vocational Education, Columbus OH, viewed 23 March 2004,
URL: http://ericae.net/edo/ed418250.htm
7. If dialogue is encouraged between students and teachers and among
students (in and out of class), thus creating a community of learners, student
motivation and engagement can be increased.

Chickering, A. & Gamson Z. 1987, Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate
education, Reprinted by University of Illinois, Springfield, viewed 20 June 2007,
Stefanou, C. & Salisbury-Glennon, J. 2002, Developing motivation and cognitive
learning strategies through an undergraduate learning community, Learning
Environments Research, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 78.

8. The educational experiences of all students are enhanced when the diversity
of their experiences are acknowledged, valued, and drawn on in learning and
teaching approaches and activities.

Gurin, P. 1998, Expert Report of Patricia Gurin: Summary and Conclusions, Regents of
the University of Michigan, viewed 23 March 2004,
URL: http://www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions/legal/expert/gurintoc.html Humphreys, D.
1998, The Impact of Diversity on College Students: The Latest Research, Association of
American Colleges & Universities, Washington DC, viewed 23 March 2004,
URL:http://www.diversityweb.org/research_and_trends/research_evaluation_impact/ben
efits_of_diversity/impact_of_diversity.cfmJames, R. & Baldwin, G. 1997, Tutoring and
Demonstrating: A Guide for the University of Melbourne, Centre for the Study of Higher
Education, The University of Melbourne, viewed 23 March 2004,

9. Students learn in different ways and their learning can be better supported by
the use of multiple teaching methods and modes of instruction (visual, auditory,
kinesthetic, and read/write).

Chickering, A. & Gamson Z. 1987, Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate
education, Reprinted by Honolulu Community College, National Learning Infrastructure
Initiative, 2003, Mapping the Learning Space: Design Implications, Educause, viewed 23
March 2004,

10. Clearly articulated expectations, goals, learning outcomes, and course

requirements increase student motivation and improve learning.

Race, P. 2001, The Lecturers Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Learning, Teaching and
Assessment, Kogan Page, London, p. 21. Ramsden, P. 1992, Learning to Teach in
Higher Education, Routledge, London, p. 96. Gibbs, F. 1995, Assessing Student Centred
Courses, The Oxford Centre for Staff Development, Oxford, p. 8.

11. When students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning,
they are more likely to develop higher-order thinking skills such as analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation.

Gibbs, G. & Habeshaw, T. 1989, Preparing to Teach: An Introduction to Effective

Teaching in Higher Education, Technical and Educational Services Ltd, Bristol, p. 37.
Zimmerman, B. 1998, Developing self-fulfilling cycles of academic regulation: an
analysis of exemplary instructional models, in D. Schunk & B. Zimmerman, (eds), Self-
Regulated Learning: From Teaching to Self-Reflective Practice, The Guildford Press,
New York, p. 1.

12. Graduate attributes the qualities and skills the university hopes its students
will develop as a result of their university studies are most effectively acquired
in a disciplinary context.

Bowden, J., Hart, G., King, B., Trigwell, K. & Watts, O. 2000, Generic capabilities: a
framework for action:, in Generic Capabilities of ATN University Graduates, viewed 23
March 2004, Scoufis, M. 2000, Integrating Graduate Attributes into the Undergraduate
Curricula, Centre for Academic Development and Flexible Learning University of
Western Sydney, Sydney, p. 1.

13. Learning can be enhanced and independent learning skills developed through
appropriate use of information and communication technologies.

Housego, S. & Freeman, M. 2000, Case studies: integrating the use of Web-based
learning systems into student learning, Australian Journal of Educational Technology,
vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 258-82, viewed 23 March 2004,
URL:http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet16/housego.html McCann, D., Christmass, J.,
Nicholson, P. & Stuparich, J. 1998, Educational Technology in Higher Education,
Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra, p. 17,
viewed 23 March 2004,

14. Learning cooperatively with peers rather than in an individualistic or

competitive way may help students to develop interpersonal, professional, and
cognitive skills to a higher level.
Chickering, A. & Gamson Z. 1987, Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate
education, Reprinted by University of Illinois, Springfield, viewed 25 May 2012, Millis, B.
& Cottell, P. 1998, Cooperative Learning for Higher Education Faculty, American Council
on Education and the Oryx Press, Phoenix Arizona, p. 17.

15. Effective learning is facilitated by assessment practices and other student

learning activities that are designed to support the achievement of desired
learning outcomes.

Biggs, J. 2002, Aligning Teaching and Assessment to Curriculum Objectives, Higher

Education Academy, viewed 2 June 2007, Isaacs, G. 2001, Assessment for Learning,
The University of Queensland, Brisbane, pp. 10-11. James, R., McInnis, C. & Devlin, M.
2002, Assessing Learning in Australian Universities, Centre for the Study of Higher
Education, University of Melbourne, p. 10.

16. Meaningful and timely feedback to students improves learning.

Chickering, A. & Gamson Z. 1987, Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate
education, Reprinted by University of Illinois, Springfield, viewed 24 May 2012, Isaacs,
G. 2001, Assessment for Learning, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, pp. 10-11.

Ideas for Implementation of the seven

principles: http://home.capecod.net/~tpanitz/7ideas.htm

Also techniques used for the seven

principles: http://www.sc.edu/cte/guide/undergraduateducation/index.shtml